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Gov. Corbett looking for charter school reform this fall– But House Republican leaders indicate that won’t happen this year.

HARRISBURG (August 23) –Gov. Tom Corbett’s education czar said this week that the Republican administration plans to make a renewed push on the unfinished parts of its school reform agenda during this fall’s legislative session.

But neither time — nor politics — is on its side.

The 253-member General Assembly returns to session on Sept. 24. But lawmakers will only be in voting session a handful of days before an election season break that starts on Oct. 18.

An added wrinkle — all 203 members of the House and half the 50-member Senate are up for re-election, and lawmakers have been historically reluctant to tackle controversial topics just before they face the voters.

So before it hits that mid-October deadline, the administration says it wants to pass major changes to Pennsylvania’s charter school law that would make it easier for the alternative public schools to open and operate and change in the way the state regulates them. The administration unsuccessfully pushed for the changes during the annual budget debate in June.

Click here to read the full article by John Micek published in the Morning Call (August 23, 2012)